Garments and other articles are prepared using fabrics. Fabrics are prepared from fibers. Fibers are prepared from resins. By controlling the chemical composition of the resin, and the form of the fiber, one can control various properties of the fibers made from the resin, and also the properties of the fabric made from the fibers, and the garment made from the fabric. The invention deals with specific elastomeric resins that may be used to prepare improved fibers, which may be used to prepare improved fabrics, which may be used to prepare improved garments and other articles.
In recent years, the demand for greater functionality in fabrics, including demand for fabric with a combination of performance and comfort, and particularly in garments made from such fabrics, has increased demand for specialized fabrics including compression fabrics. Compression fabrics, which are generally prepared from a combination of two or more different types of fibers, provide compression, however, they often become uncomfortable due to increased heat buildup and often become too tight or too heavy or too bulky. It would be desirable for a garment, and other articles made from such fabrics, to provide an optimal degree of compression specific to the wearer without loss of comfort.
Conventional compression fabrics also have limited balance, that is, conventional fabrics often have good stretch and related physical properties in one direction or axis, but not in the other. Fabrics with good properties in both directions (in both the weft/width and warp/length direction) are referred to as well balanced fabrics, and in some embodiments the fabric has very similar, to essentially equivalent properties, such as modulus, in both directions. Often, fabrics have acceptable weft direction stretch but less than desirable warp direction stretch. It would be desirable for a compression fabric, which may be used to prepare garments and other articles, to have good balance without the loss of its other desirable properties. It would also be desirable for a compression fabric, which may be used to prepare garments and other articles, to have improved warp direction stretch without the loss of its other desirable properties.
Conventional compression fabrics also have limited solvent resistance, making them unsuitable or at least less useful in applications that may include exposure to one or more solvents. It would be desirable for a compression fabric, which may be used to prepare garments and other articles, to have good solvent resistance without the loss of its other desirable properties.
Conventional compression fabrics also have limited alkali and chlorine resistance, making them unsuitable or at least less useful in applications that may include exposure to alkali bases or chlorine, for example, in the production of swimwear and related items, or for use in items that will be commercially laundered. It would be desirable for a compression fabric, which may be used to prepare garments and other articles, to have good alkali and chlorine resistance without the loss of its other desirable properties.
European Patent EP 0592668 B1 relates to thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers and processes for making the same, however the reference does not teach composition with molecular weights as high as those of the invention described herein, particularly those that still possess the elastomeric properties and processability described despite the unusually high molecular weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,331 teaches brassieres or other breast shaping garments and discusses the benefits of using balanced fabrics in their construction. However, the reference achieves a well balanced fabric by building a multi-layer fabric where the layers are oriented in such a way as to provide an overall piece of fabric, albeit a multi-layer, that has some balance. The reference provides no teaching of single layer fabrics that themselves have good balance.